Metal roofs, though in use for centuries, have in recent years become increasingly popular for commercial, residential or other uses, and with such popularity there is an increased need for better roofing clips for attaching the metal roof panels to the purlins of the roof structure.
Metal roofs are strong, fire-resistant and durable, and they now come with many finishes and in various styles which sometimes simulate the look of non-metal roofing materials such as tile or slate.
However, metal expands or contracts with temperature changes to a greater degree than some other roofing materials. Therefore, for extended lengths of metal roofing, where the quantitative amount of expansion and construction can be considerable, nailing or screwing the metal to the purlins of the roof structure is not satisfactory because of buckling that can occur, or even the pulling loose or shearing of the fasteners. To deal with this expansion/contraction characteristic of metal roofs, it is customary to utilize roofing clips, usually of metal, that will allow for a certain amount of expansion and contraction by allowing a metal piece interfacing or engaging with the metal roof to slide within a limited range provided by the clips attached to the purlin.
The present invention is a roofing clip and connector designed to provide greater strength and stability to an installed roof system than in the past, especially through angling upward the end portion of the upper fold layer of the clip as will be shown below, together with provision of a tab extension for the connector.